Friday, 29 August 2014

This property lies within the Tongdean Conservation Area (CA) developed mainly in the 1920s and 30s. The CA character statement refers to the architectural variations on inter-war vernacular revival, the Tudorbethan styles and the examples of mock Georgian, Spanish villa and the antebellum style of the Southern United States. Architectural detailing is said to reflect the work of well known architects of the late 19th century, such as Charles Voysey and Richard Norman Shaw.

However any impression of uncoordinated development is avoided because of the generous spacing of the buildings in relation to each other and the unifying effect of the trees and greenery. The element of surprise resulting from seeing one architectural style after another is part of the character of the CA. To preserve this character the CA needs careful preservation and maintenance and in this respect the incremental loss over time of original architectural features and materials would be harmful.

No. 49 is particularly distinguished by the gablets in a red-tiled roof, a two-storey entrance porch extension surmounted with an eyebrow window, a brick round-arched doorway and the curving brick walls to the driveway.

Planning application BH2014/02534 (see below) proposes elimination of all these distinguishing features in favour of black slates, a 3-storey glazed extension, and a rendered front boundary wall with steel and glazed inset panels.

Proposed elevation

The modern pre-occupation with large areas of glazing has its place in modern buildings designed from the ground up but used in this way, in these surroundings, results in an uncomfortable (to say the least) chimaera of a building.

If the term "Tongdean Conservation Area" means anything it must surely deny to the applicant the kind of alterations proposed.

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Following some incorrect news reports, Brighton & Hove City Council has clarified the fact the planning application to convert the Hippodrome theatre into a multi-screen cinema and restaurants has not been called in by the government.

The council’s head of planning and public protection Martin Randall explained: “Following the Planning Committee meeting on July 16, the council as planning authority was procedurally required to refer the application to the government. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will notify us of their decision on whether to ‘call in’ the application or allow planning permission to be granted in line with the planning committee’s decision. No such decision by the DCLG has been received to date and as such the planning permission has not been issued.”

The council has been given no deadline or timeline for a DCLG decision.

As can be seen from the above artist's impression some attempt has been made to soften the somewhat forbidding flint wall by surmounting it with railings through which a climbing plant can ramble. The proposed one to two storey office building behind has graduated sloping roofs that will allow maximum light into the twitten and is L-shaped around a small courtyard.

The overall design looks attractive and the courtyard, it is suggested, will be densely planted around its edges to form a small green oasis. Unfortunately neither the building or the courtyard will be visible to the passers-by. Yet as the property isn't residential the needs for privacy need not be so stringent as that of similarly sited gardens along the twitten. The solid wooden gate should be replaced with a wrought iron one.

Friday, 8 August 2014

Unveiled today, two new plaques are now adorning the interior of Brighton's splendidly refurbished Victorian station.

Firstly, in the presence of the Deputy Mayor Cr Denise Cobb, a plaque to David Mocatta the station architect was unveiled by members of his descendant family.

Secondly, a new plaque to John Saxby, who did early vital work on railway signalling, was unveiled by his descendants.

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In connection with this plaque, tribute was paid to the late Bill McIlroy who campaigned for several years for the replacement of a pre-existing plaque to Saxby. This was of grey slate in a nearby poorly-lit passage and with lettering very difficult to decipher.

The old plaque to John Saxby

The new plaques were promoted by the City's Commemorative Plaque Panel and financed by Southern Rail who manage the station.

Monday, 4 August 2014

The fate of this building, an early to mid 19thC livery stable, hangs in the balance. Planning application BH2013/02799 calls for its demolition as part of the redevelopment of the listed building 13A-14 Castle Street which it backs on to.

English Heritage did not consider 19A Castle Street itself suitable for listing due to refenestration and the 20thC rendered extension. However the planning committee refused BH2013/02799 on the grounds that 19A Castle Street has protection by virtue of being within the curtilage of a listed building, is of historical significance and there are no acceptable detailed proposals for its development, i.e. demolition and rebuilding are not acceptable.

The applicant appealed this decision on 10th July and the appeal decision is awaited.

The listed fly stables on Stone Street, previously used by a roofing contractor.
BH2013/02799 proposes restoration and conversion to a 3 bedroom house.

Sunday, 3 August 2014

c1915: The Brighton Dome used as a military hospital for wounded Indian soldiers.

June 2014: Today it is a multi-arts venue.

Indian troops were fighting for the Allied forces on the western front as early as October 1914 and over 130,000 Indian soldiers eventually served in France. A wounded Indian soldier wrote from a hospital in England: "Do not think that this is war. This is not war. It is the ending of the world." Photographs by Popperfoto/Getty and Suki Dhanda/The Guardian.